Highlands Point Trails (Highlands Ranch, CO) – trailmap
Trails traveled: Buck Snort Trail, Tenderfoot Trail, Giddy Up Trail, Longhorn Ledge Trail, Difficulty: Green (Easy)
Loop, 6.61 miles round-trip
Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Weather: 61 °F, Cloudy, Rainy

Hike Recap:

• Deer Tracks
• Wildflowers
• Mountain View
• Birds
• Rain
• Mountain Bikes
• Front Range

This hike was an easier one for me. My time was a bit more limited than usual and afternoon storms were starting to roll in. The elevation gains were very mild on this hike, but there still were some nice views of the Rocky Mountains and you could even see downtown Denver on a clear day.

The hike started out without a cloud in the sky, but as the day wore on, dark clouds started to edge in. There was some rain at one point, but as you find in Colorado, most times the rain lasts for 5-10 minutes and then passes along.

What characterized this hike the most for me were the steady stream of deer tracks everywhere through the park and the plentiful wildflowers that dotted the meadows all around you as you hike. There were also lots of beautiful birds of all kinds that are attracted to the bird houses setup along the trails. They were gobbling up the crickets and grasshoppers that seemed to be hopping around you all the time.

This hike is a great one for the beginner or someone who can’t handle steeper inclines while hiking any more. It would also make for a nice workout after work to get out in nature and also get your heart pumping after a stressful day at the office. The trails were not too busy and when I was leaving there was only one car besides mine in the parking lot. The trail is a great place for mountain bikes too, but there were enough trails that it didn’t seem like you were constantly on the lookout for bikes careening along the trail.

While I did a 6.61 mile loop through the trails, you could do a much shorter and even longer hike because of the many trails throughout the park. Overall, it was an enjoyable hike that leaves me with my calves reminding me that I did some work today.

– Jason